PITTSBURGH (PRWEB)
December 31, 2019

Call-Push-Shock, a social media campaign designed to encourage bystander action in cases of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, is becoming a national public health movement. Results of the initiative, co-sponsored by Parent Heart Watch and the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation and grounded in research by global consumer research firm, StrataVerve, were presented at the Cardiac Arrest Survival Summit in Seattle earlier this month.

Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is a national public health crisis. About 1,000 people suffer SCA outside hospital settings every day in the U.S. On average, only in one in 10 victims survives. Those who survive invariably received immediate CPR and quick treatment with a defibrillator.

The Call-Push-Shock initiative was developed in response to an appeal from the Institute of Medicine (IOM), now the National Academy of Medicine, urging collaboration among stakeholders to help improve survival from sudden cardiac arrest. The purpose of the campaign is to motivate bystanders to call 911, give CPR, and use AEDs (automated external defibrillators) to help save lives threatened by sudden cardiac arrest. One of the ways to help improve survival, according to the IOM, is for organizations to speak in one voice with consistent messaging aimed at increasing rates of bystander intervention with CPR and use of AEDs.

The Call-Push-Shock campaign is grounded in research conducted for the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation by global consumer research firm, StrataVerve,

focused on public awareness, understanding, and messaging that resonates with laypersons. “We found that when consumer research is evaluated in comparison with data from CARES (the Cardiac Arrest Registry to Enhance Survival), about 14% more lives could be saved each year if bystanders intervened right away,” said Jennifer Chap, principal at StrataVerve.

The following definition was tested among consumers and is recommended for all to use: “Sudden cardiac arrest is a life-threatening emergency that occurs when the heart suddenly stops beating. It strikes people of all ages who may seem to be healthy, even children and teens. When SCA happens, the person collapses and doesn’t respond or breathe normally. They may gasp or shake as if having a seizure. SCA leads to death in minutes if the person doesn’t get help right away. Survival depends on people nearby calling 911, starting CPR, and using an AED (if available) as soon as possible.”

The campaign was launched in June 2018. Assets include a landing page, Call-Push-Shock.org, and a user-friendly toolkit that features a simple explanation of SCA tested among laypersons, an infographic, images created for Facebook and Twitter, videos of “man-in-the street” interviews, and a social media calendar with suggested posts. Assets are available in English and Spanish.

By October 2018, there were 20 co-partners. By early December 2019, there were 35 co-partners. By the end of December, another 15 organizations had expressed interest in joining the campaign.

“We are thrilled that so many stakeholders are joining the Call-Push-Shock movement,” said Mary Newman, Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation president. “We believe that if we speak in one voice across all of our platforms, we can dramatically improve survival from sudden cardiac arrest.”

Martha Lopez-Anderson, Parent Heart Watch executive director, agrees. “We welcome other organizations to join the Call-Push-Shock movement. By using consistent messaging about sudden cardiac arrest, we can save thousands of lives each year.”

To join the national movement, reach out to: contact@callpushshock.org.

About the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation

The Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation is a national community benefit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to raising awareness about sudden cardiac arrest and saving lives. Bystander intervention can triple the chance of survival and we work to promote this message.

About Parent Heart Watch

Parent Heart Watch (PHW) is the only national organization focused solely on protecting youth from sudden cardiac arrest and preventable sudden cardiac death. PHW leads and empowers others by educating and advocating for change. PHW is comprised of parents and who have been personally touched by sudden cardiac arrest or sudden cardiac death and other passionate advocates who put their time and effort into preventing SCA/SCD in the young throughout their communities.

About StrataVerve

StrataVerve is a strategic marketing and research firm with expertise in consumer insights, product development and brand strategy across multiple categories. The StrataVerve difference is an integrated, analytic decision-driven approach that turns research findings into consumer action.

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